-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Global debate over the Syrian crisis is expected to ratchet up this week , with Russian and European Union leaders grappling with the thorny issue and U.N. members reassessing whether to take further action .

Kofi Annan , joint envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League , will meet Friday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington to discuss Syria , sources told CNN .

The crisis that has killed thousands over 15 months was expected to dominate the agenda at the EU-Russia Summit in St. Petersburg , Russia , on Monday . World leaders have accused Russia of supporting and selling arms to the Syrian regime -- assertions that Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied .

China , meanwhile , assumed the revolving presidency of the U.N. Security Council . China and Russia are the only members of the council that have repeatedly barred attempts to formally condemn the Syrian government .

But a commentary in China 's state-run People 's Daily newspaper held out hope for a struggling peace plan and warned against military intervention in Syria .

`` The international community should support Annan 's peace plan instead of losing confidence and patience , '' the paper said . If the Annan plan is blocked , `` then it will most likely push this country into the abyss of full-scale war . ''

A full-scale civil war would trigger Western military intervention and severe consequences , the People 's Daily said .

`` Mass civilian casualties , enormous property losses , an increasingly turbulent society ... the lessons learnt from mistakes made in Libya are still fresh , '' the paper said .

In Syria on Monday , 42 people were killed Monday , according to the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria .

The LCC posted a letter on its Facebook page slamming Russia and China for blocking tougher action against Syria , and criticizing the U.N. observer mission in the country .

`` Based on our own investigation , we have determined that the U.N. observer mission has consciously provided the regime with political cover . Therefore , the U.N. observer mission is not substantively different from that found in the Arab League 's observer mission . The practices of the U.N. observers on the ground confirm that their current mission has been convoluted with political goals , and this is tantamount to putting the cart before the horse . ''

`` Since the beginning of the uprising , the regime has systematically resorted to lies , claiming the existence of Islamic fundamentalists , Palestinian gunmen and terrorists as part of a vile foreign conspiracy to change the power structure and its relationship to society , '' the LCC wrote .

`` The regime 's survival , in fact , has become completely dependent on foreign forms of political , economic , military and technical support . ''

It called on the Security Council and Annan to `` take note of the need for the U.N. observers ' mission to evolve to include a role for the International Criminal Court to undertake an investigation and verify who is responsible for the gunfire and violence . ''

Syria , meanwhile , said on state-run media that 30 `` army and law enforcement martyrs '' were buried Monday .

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said about 100 government soldiers have been killed by rebel fighters during the past three days .

Al-Assad denied Sunday that government forces were behind the recent `` outrageous '' massacre of more than 100 civilians , including dozens of small children , in the town of Houla .

`` Truthfully , even monsters do not do what we saw , especially in the Houla massacre , '' he told lawmakers . `` The criminal or criminals who committed this crime and others are not criminals for an hour or criminals for a day , they are constant criminals and are surely planning other crimes . ''

Speaking before the newly elected People 's Assembly , al-Assad decried what he called terrorists and the conspiracy against Syria .

`` At this time , we are facing a war from abroad , '' al-Assad said in his first public speech since January . `` Dealing with it is different from dealing with people from inside . ''

His speech came more than a week after the U.N. Security Council condemned the Houla massacre , with members casting blame on government forces for the deaths .

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Al-Assad 's remarks stand in stark contrast to what the opposition and many world leaders have said for more than a year : that al-Assad 's forces , not `` terrorists , '' are behind a sustained slaughter stemming from the regime 's crackdown on dissidents .

As the president spoke , shells rained on the anti-government bastion of Homs , the LCC said . Thirty-seven people were killed Sunday in Syria , five of them children , the group said .

Al-Assad 's address came a day after Annan said that `` the specter of all-out civil war , with a worrying sectarian dimension , grows by the day . ''

Saudi Arabia 's foreign minister , Saud Al Faisal , said the Syrian regime is pushing for a sectarian crisis .

`` The Syrian opposition lacks the means to defend itself , and the regime is getting weapons from everywhere , '' he said Sunday . `` For a while now , we noticed that the regime has been trying to turn the crisis into a sectarian conflict . ''

He added that , while Syria had agreed to Annan 's peace plan , the regime has not implemented it . `` The regime just wants to buy time , '' Al Faisal said .

At a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers Saturday , Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani said Annan 's peace initiative should be placed under Chapter VII of the U.N. charter , Qatar 's news agency reported Saturday . Such a move would allow the U.N. Security Council to take action that could include military force .

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that he had taken note of the Arab League leaders ' suggestions , including requests to increase the number of U.N. observers and to set a time limit for the effort .

`` All these are very important recommendations , and I hope these will be discussed by the Security Council members . At this time , I would welcome the wider international discussions on the future course of action , '' Ban told reporters .

The crisis in Syria began nearly 15 months ago , when a tough government crackdown on protesters spiraled out of control and spawned a national anti-government uprising .

Al-Assad 's family has ruled Syria for 42 years .

The United Nations for months has said more than 9,000 people have died in Syria . But death counts from opposition groups range from more than 12,000 to more than 14,000 . Tens of thousands have been displaced .

CNN can not independently confirm reports of casualties or violence from Syria because the government restricts access to foreign journalists .

CNN 's Saad Abedine , Holly Yan , Tian Shao , Tracy Doueiry and Richard Roth contributed to this report .

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NEW : Opposition says 42 people were killed Monday ; Syria says 30 `` martyrs '' were buried

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A Syrian opposition group pleads for criminal court action

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Envoy Kofi Annan is to meet Friday with Clinton , sources say

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Syria is facing `` a war from abroad ''